Friday, December 31, 2010

Day 6 Florida Winter Vacation 2010

Today we slept in a bit, had breakfast and then headed to Everglades National Park.  The park entrance is only 6 miles from our hotel. 

7354 Everglades National Park FL

First stop is the Ernest F Coe Visitor Center.  We got our National Park Passport Book stamped.  This is a very nice visitor center with lots of displays and murals.

7357 Everglades National Park FL - Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center7366 Everglades National Park FL - Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center Stitch7373 Everglades National Park FL- Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center

This is the only panther that we saw.

7388 Everglades National Park FL - Royal Palm Rd7382 Everglades National Park FL- Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center - Karen & Florida Panther statue7383 Everglades National Park FL- Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center - Bill & Florida Panther statue

We parked at the Royal Palm – Anhinga Viewing Trail and walked around the raised boardwalk.

7391 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail

Of course we saw some Anhinga’s.

7394 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Karen & Anhinga7395 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Anhingas7417 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Anhinga drying wings

We also saw lots and lots of Alligators.

7402 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - alligator7422 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - alligators7424 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - alligator

And this Great Blue Heron.

7404 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Great Blue Heron7405 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Great Blue Heron7406 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Great Blue Heron

A Great Egret.

7415 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Great Egret7416 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Great Egret

A Wood Stork.

7454 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Wood Stork7456 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Wood Stork7458 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Wood Stork

A couple of Black Vultures.

7460 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Black Vulture7461 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - Black Vultures

As we were driving out of the parking lot there was this giant alligator getting ready to cross the road.

7465 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Anhinga Trail - alligator beside road7464 Everglades National Park FL- Royal Palm Rd - alligator beside road

We continued along the road to the Flamingo Visitor Center, we didn’t see any Flamingo’s here but we did see an Osprey sticking its head up out of its nest.

7477 Everglades National Park FL- Flamingo Visitor Center7474 Everglades National Park FL- Flamingo Visitor Center - Osprey nest7474a Everglades National Park FL- Flamingo Visitor Center - Osprey nest & Osprey

Everglades National Park is a park that we will come back to visit.  Both of us enjoy seeing the birds and identifying them.  The temperature got as high as 79 degrees today… nice……

To see all of our photos ( and a short video of an alligator swimming ) from today you can find them by clicking this link to my FLICKR site.

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